Research on growth trends and spatial distribution of Shanghai population based on GIS

This paper analyzed the growth trends of Shanghai resident population and registered permanent residents since the reform and opening. By applying negative exponential index model and the local spatial autocorrelation analysis, this research revealed the latest spatial distribution characteristics of Shanghai resident population and registered permanent resident, combined with comparative analysis to the situation in 2000. It was found that from 2000 to 2008, the overall pattern of population concentration and regional distribution of downtown area did not change. Instead, it continued the trend of the reverse urbanization in the downtown areas of Shanghai since the mid-80s. Population spatial change was undergoing a transformation from concentrating in city center to expanding to the outlying suburbs, and the population density in urban center kept declining.